In a statement released by the Oh So Small production agency, Vee said: "It's been an absolute pleasure to have worked alongside the legendary Kenny Baker. Kenny was a fantastic actor and taught me all the 'tricks' on how he brought R2-D2 to life which I will continue to portray in his honor.

"I'm so excited to be a part of the Star Wars universe and can't wait for everyone to see what we've been working so hard on for the last year," he added.

The original R2 actor Kenny Baker died last year in August following a long illness. Baker played the lovable robot in the first three Star Wars films, and reprised the role for George Lucas's prequel trilogy.